HAYWARD, Calif. – The RV/No. 20 Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team (14-2, 12-1 CCAA) handed No. 24/16 Cal State East Bay (15-2, 10-1 CCAA) its first conference loss of the season with a 76-54 victory on Thursday evening in Hayward. With the win, the Cougars took over first place in the CCAA standings.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jordan Vasquez – 20 points | 12 rebounds | 9-of-12 FG
Sydney Buckley – 17 points | 14-of-16 FT | 8 rebounds | 3 assists
Akayla Hackson – 12 points | 6 rebounds | 2 assists
Kelsey Forrester – 9 points | 3-of-5 3FG | 2 assists
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cougars came out strong in the opening quarter, taking a 21-11 lead over the Pioneers after shooting 57.1% from the field.
The Cougars knocked down 15 unanswered points that began with a Kate Carlson layup with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter and ended on a Kayden Korst free throw at the 6:51 mark of the second quarter.
CSUSM kept the momentum rolling into the second quarter, outscoring CSUEB 13-7 to take a 34-18 lead into the locker room.
The Cougars shot 41.9% (13-of-31) from the court while holding CSUEB to just 25% (7-of-28) in the first half.
Both teams tallied 11 rebounds in the first 20 minutes, but the Pioneers had a slight edge with nine offensive boards to CSUSM’s six.
Only three Pioneers scored in the first half while seven Cougars contributed to their 34 points.
Vasquez led all players with 13 points and nine rebounds in the first half.
The Cougars took their largest lead of the game of 58-33 at the 7:36 mark in the fourth quarter on a Vasquez layup.
FAST BREAKS
The Cougars extended their winning streak to 10 and remain undefeated on the road at 8-0.
CSUSM’s 12-1 CCAA record moves them up to a .923 win percentage and puts them in first place in the conference standings. The Pioneers are now 10-1 (.909) and now sit in second place.
The Cougars continued their best start in program history an overall record of 13-2.
Vasquez tallied her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Cougars held their own against the top rebounding team in the conference, finishing with 34 to CSUEB’s 36.
CSUEB tallied only six assists, the second-lowest allowed by a CSUSM opponent this season.
The Cougars won every quarter including the fourth, outscoring the Pioneers 24-23 in the final 10 minutes.
CSUEB recorded 29 fouls, the most by a Cougar opponent this season, with four Pioneers fouling out of the game.
Fourteen of CSUSM’s points came from fast breaks.
Buckley’s 17 points was a season high with 14 coming from the free throw line.
The Cougars continued to perform at the charity stripe, shooting 23-of-31 (74.2%) while the Pioneers struggled at 13-of-27 (48.1%).
CSUSM is now 6-7 in the all-time series against the Pioneers while evening the series at 3-3 when playing at Pioneer Gymnasium.
UP NEXT
The Cougars return to Southern California on Saturday for a matchup against Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.
